Brand Protection Label With A Tamper Evident Abrasion-Removable Magnetic Ink

Abstract

The invention discloses security articles printed with an opaque or semi-transparent magnetic scratch-off removable composition printed on a substrate. The security article allows one to determine if the scratch-off media has been substantially removed prior to awarding a prize. Furthermore the invention discloses a security label having an image that is formed by applying a magnetically alignable pigment aligned by a magnetic field. A region of the magnetically formed image is more removable than another region adjacent to it, so that verification can be made of the label and its contents.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a print of a first stage of an image having a dark background and a releasable coating in the form of the word “OK” supported by a web or substrate.

FIG. 2 is a print of the image of FIG. 1 wherein an additional coating layer of abrasion removable ink containing magnetic pigment particles is coated over most of the image in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a print of the image in FIG. 2 after the magnetic particles in the ink have been magnetically oriented to form a rolling bar.

FIG. 4 is the image shown in FIG. 3 after some of the magnetic ink in a region in the lower right of the image has been scratched away exposing the releasable coating.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an image similar to the images shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.

Claims

1. An image comprising a coating of magnetically aligned pigment flakes wherein the flakes are aligned upon a substrate in a predetermined pattern, and wherein flakes within a first sub-region of the image are more easily removable by scratching or rubbing, than other flakes within other sub-regions of the image.

2. An image as defined in claim 1, wherein the image is an authentication image for authenticating a product and wherein a second image is hidden under the authentication image and is only visible after removing some of the removable coating in the first sub-region.

3. An authentication image as defined in claim 2 wherein the first sub-region is marked with a border or other indicia indicating a transition between the first sub-region and an adjacent sub-region.

4. An image as defined in claim 1 wherein the coating within the first sub-region and the other sub-regions is a contiguous coating layer and wherein the pigment flakes within the first sub-region and other sub-regions are aligned by a same magnetic field spanning the regions.

5. An image as defined in claim 4, wherein the flakes within the first sub-region are disposed within an ink vehicle and wherein the ink vehicle is coated upon a releasable coating.

6. An image as defined in claim 5, wherein the releasable coating is coated over indicia and wherein the image forms a security image.

7. An image as defined in claim 6 forming a label, wherein the indicia is an indicator indicating that the label is authentic.

8. An image as defined in claim 6, wherein the indica is in the form of text or a symbol or a logo.

9. An image as defined in claim 4 wherein text is printed over the contiguous coating layer so as to be visible on an outer exposed surface of the image.

10. An image as defined in claim 6, wherein a symbol, text or logo is printed over the contiguous coating layer so as to be visible on an outer exposed surface of the image.

11. An image as defined in claim 4 wherein the pigment flakes are color-shifting flakes, color switching flakes, diffractive flakes, or covert flakes having covert symbols thereon.

12. An image comprising a coating of magnetically aligned pigment flakes wherein the flakes are aligned upon a substrate in a predetermined pattern and wherein the coating is a scratchable coating applied over a marked label.

13. A method of forming a security image comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate having a primary region for supporting a coated image, wherein said primary region includes a sub-region smaller than the primary region;b) coating the sub-region with a releasable coating;c) depositing a coating of magnetically alignable pigment flakes disposed in a carrier over the entire primary region;b) applying a magnetic field to the coating of magnetically alignable pigment flakes disposed in the carrier so as to magnetically align the flakes and form the security image, wherein said method results in an image wherein flakes covering the sub-region are more removable by scratching or rubbing, than other flakes within the primary region.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the step of coating the sub-region with a releasable coating is preformed without coating the remaining part of the primary region with the releasable coating.

15. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein the pigment flakes are color-shifting flakes, color switching flakes, diffractive flakes, or covert flakes having covert symbols thereon.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the sub-region is entirely contained with the primary region and wherein the primary region provides a border for the sub-region.

17. A method as defined in claim 14 wherein the magnetic field is applied such that the image is continuous throughout the primary region and sub-region.

18. A method of forming a security image comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate having a primary region for supporting a coated image, wherein said primary region includes a sub-region smaller than the primary region, and wherein the sub-region is coated with a releasable coating;b) depositing a coating of magnetically alignable pigment flakes disposed in a carrier over the entire primary region; and,c) applying a magnetic field to the coating of magnetically alignable pigment flakes disposed in the carrier so as to magnetically align the flakes and form the security image, wherein said method results in an image wherein flakes covering the sub-region are more removable by scratching or rubbing, than other flakes within the primary region.

19. A scratch-off optical effect ink comprising a light transmissive non-opaque scratch-off ink vehicle having magnetically orientable flakes therein, wherein the concentration of flakes within the ink vehicle is sufficient to obscure of block an image or indicia covered by said scratch-off optical effect ink.